My Favorite Crafts

One of my favorite things to blog about are crafts. There are so many different types and styles to choose from, it just seems like the world of crafting offers endless fun for children and adults alike! Not only can crafts be for fun (or simply to keep kids occupied), but they can also help you develop very useful skills that will end up saving you money and time in the long run.

I have done so many different crafts over the years, it can be hard to even remember them all. For your benefit, I have tried to recall some of my recent favorites. This is an assorted list of crafts that are really fun to do and prove to be quite useful around the house and in some cases make for really excellent gifts for friends or family.

Homemade Candles

Candles are something that everyone loves to have around. There are several different things about them that most people seem to adore. First of all, they help to add a wonderful scent to any room. This isn’t just good for rooms that tend to develop an unpleasant smell, but for any room. A nice scent can really help improve the mood and even aid in relaxation after a stressful day out at work (or maybe a tough day cleaning the house, in my case). A pleasant scent is one good thing about candles and making your own is great because you really get the chance to customize that scent. However, I would be doing a disservice not to mention that candlelight is one of the most appealing parts of choosing to burn candles in your home. There’s something about the soft, flickering light from a candle that adds a magical ambiance to almost any area.

Here’s a great guide on how to make your own herb pressed candles. This is one of my favorite candle making tutorials because, not only do they smell great, but they help make use of any leftover herbs that you may have from your garden. I have found that lavender and even mint make great choices for these delightful candles.

Credit: Adventures-In-Making.com

DIY Perler Bead Fridge Magnets

Some of my favorite craft mediums to work in are the permanent ones. This sometimes means working with wood, metal, or even glass. There’s something very satisfying in creating an object that will be around for a long time. However, those mediums are often too advanced and/or dangerous for children to work with. This is one of the reasons that I love using Perler Beads so much. They allow kids to create something with their imagination and then have it immortalized with heat! I have found that my kids really get a kick out of their Perler Bead creations, especially when they earn such a prominent placement – like on a refrigerator.

Here’s a tutorial on how to make very cute little fruit Perler Bead magnets. This is a tasty little craft that my kids and their friends love to do. These little magnets will also make great gifts for the grandparents or even their teachers.

Credit: FrugalMomeh.com

Dixie Cup String Lights

This is an easy and cheap project that has a very pleasing final effect. The dixie cup string light project might be something that is better suited to kids that are a little bit older. Or, it could be just the thing to get your little one excited. Just make sure that you child is old enough to handle string lights safely. You should never let a small child play with these lights unattended or while they’re plugged into the wall. There is a risk of cuts (if the lights are glass and not plastic) and there is a risk of electric shock or even fire if they’re plugged in. Exercise caution and good judgement, please.

This craft involves using a string of regular lights – like the type that you put on your Christmas tree in December. You cut two small slits in the bottom of each dixie cup. This allows you to slip the actual lightbulb through the cup and then the cup acts as a decorative surround for the light. This adds some extra ambiance to the room that the lights don’t have without their surrounds.

Credit: HeyGorg.com

Melted Crayon Pumpkins

This is one of my favorite halloween crafts for young children. When you have kids with a variety of age ranges, it can sometimes be difficult to find projects that are safe and appropriate for all of them to do together. For example, cutting jackolanterns. This is a great thing for kids who are old enough to use the sharp tools required to cut the pumpkin out. However, the younger children can become very upset when they are excluded from this activity, because let’s be honest, it must look like they’re having a ton of fun.

The melted crayon pumpkins are a great way for the smaller kids to create a pumpkin of their own, without having to deal with any dangerous tools. I would suggest painting the pumpkin white first, which is nice because it’s another thing that your little ones can help do. The white also gives a background for the melted crayons to stand out against for a more appealing appearance. Once you have painted your pumpkin white (and waited for it to dry, of course) it’s time to select your favorite colors to melt on top. Have you child pick out an assortment of their favorite colors. Assist them in carefully placing them on top of the pumpkin. Make sure to first remove the paper label on each crayon. You may also have to break some of the crayons into smaller pieces. After they are arranged on top of the pumpkin, let your little one watch as you blast them with your hair dryer! They will melt down the side of the pumpkin, giving it a unique look. Just make sure that they keep their hands away at a safe distance so they don’t get harmed by the heat.